Two-cylinder compound locomotive.



Patented Aug. l5, I899.

G. R. HENDERSON.

-TWO CYLINDER COMPOUND LUGDMOTIVE.

(Application filed Jan. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. l5, I899.

G. R. HENDERSON.

TWO CYLINDER COMPOUND LDCDMDTIVE.

(Appli mtion filed Jim. 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

WWI-WW /fiI-V// N N EN UNITED STATES GEORGE R. HENDERSON,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

TWO-CYLINDER COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 631,164, dated August 15, 1899. Application filed January 11.1899. Serial No. 701,840. (No model.)

To all whom itntcty concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. HENDER- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Roanoke,Virginia, have invented certain Improvements in Two-Cylinder Compound Locomotives, of which the followingis a specification. V

My invention relates to certain improvements in two-cylinder compound locomotives.

Heretofore two-cylinder compound locomo* tives were built in such a manner that when live steam 'was admitted to both cylinders simultaneously, so that the engine would run simple-acting, the total pressure on the pistons would not be-greater than that of the ordinary two-cylinder simple-acting engine. Consequently when the same locomotive was used compounding the power exerted was a great deal less than that of the ordinary twocylinder simple-acting engine. If the diameter of each cylinder is increased, so that the power exerted will be the same as that of the two-cylinder simple-acting engine, then when the engine is arranged so as to act as a-simple-actiug engine the pressure exerted is increased to such a degree as to cause the locomotive to slip and waste steam.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby an engine can be built having a large cylinder-area, so that when acting compounding it will have a given pressuresay, about that of the ordinary simple-acting locomotive-and when acting simple to reduce the initial steam-pressure in both cylinders, so that the increase will be in proportion to the tractive force and the power ex erted will be no greater than that for which the locomotive Wasdesigned. Consequently the locomotive can'be run simple-acting economically, and the'initial steam-pressure can be so reduced thatlittle or no increase in power will be experienced over the engine working compound, but merely allow for'the proper steam admission to both cylinders to enable the engine to start in any positionof the cranks.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View of sufficient of a locomotive to illustrate my invention, the View illustrating the high and low pressure cylinders and the position of the Valves. Fig. 2 is a section through the valves on the line V 2 2, Fig. 1, with the reducing-valve in the initial steam-passage closed. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the valve open, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of a portion of Fig. 2.

A is the boiler.

B is the high-pressure cylinder, and D is the low-pressure cylinder.

0. is the steam-pipe, leading from the boiler to the passage a in the cylinder-casting, communicating with the passage 1), leading to the valve-chest of the high-pressure cylinder B. This passage b also communicates, when the valves are shifted so that the engine will act simple-acting, with a passage 0, which communicates with the passage d through the tubes or pipes cl. This passage (1 communicates in turn with the steam-chest of the lowpressure cylinder D.

E is the intercepting-valve, which either connects the high-pressure exhaust-passage b with the exhaust-passage f, leading to the nozzle F, or connects said passage b with the passage 0, leading to the steam-chest of the low-pressure cylinder D. G is a reducingvalve usually placed between the high and low pressure cylinders, so as to cut oif the passage of live steam from the passage b to the low-pressure cylinder or allow the steam to flow into the said passage 0 at a reduced pressure.

valves is clearly illustrated in a prior patent granted to S. M. Vauclain on June 16, 1893, No. 499,065, and the special construction of valve mechanism G for operating the reducing-valve G set forth and claimed in the application for patent in the names of Vauclain and Henderson, Serial No. 679,958.

It will be understood that any form of reducing and intercepting valve may be used in connection with my invention, which si1nply relates to a reducing-valve in the initial steam-passages.

H is a valve-chest in which is mounted the reducing-valve L. This reducing-valve can be projected so as to cut ofi the passage of The special construction of these steam from the initial supply-passage a to the open to steam or exhaust. A pipe j extends IOO from the engineers valve J to a chamber H back of the valve-casing II. In this chamber is a small valve h, having a head it, adapted to the chamber II, and a grooved stem 7t ,OOl1 trolling the admission of steam from the chamber b to the space back of the valve I.

i is a port forming communication between the space back of the valve I and the valvechest H, and t" is a port forming a communication between the passage Z) and the valvechest H.

k is a port open to the atmosphere, and 7c is a drip-passage.

\Vhen the engineers valve J is moved into the position shown in Fig. 2, the space above the valve 71 is open to the atmosphere. Consequently the pressure in the chamber Z) will elevate the valve h, and thus communication will be formed between the passage 1) and the space at the rear of the valve I, through the ports 2' and t', and the valve will be forced forward against the pressure in the initial steam-passage a. If the pressure in the passage b is equal to the pressure in the passage a, then the valve I will shut off communication between the two passages, as the area of the rear of the valve is greater than that subjected to the pressure of the initial steam in the passage a; but as soon as the pressure in the passage b decreases then the valve will be moved back by the pressure in the passage a,allowing steam to enter the passage Z). Consequently when the engine in running single acting the valve I will remain in a position that it will reduce the pressure of steam as it flows from the passage a to the passage 1), and the steam under reduced pressure wiil be admitted simultaneously to both the high and the low pressure cylinders, and the 1000- motive will run simple-acting; but the moment the engineers valve is turned to the position shown in Fig. 3 and steam from the boileris admitted to the pipej and to the space in the valve-chest above the valve 7b the valve h will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, the port 1" will be cut oil, and the port 2' will communicate with the port 70, and the space back of the valve 2' will be open to the atmosphere. Consequently the valve will be forced back to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus allowing the steam to freely flow without reduction from the passage a to the passage 1), and when the engineers valve is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the intercepting-valve is shifted so that the engine will work compounding, the steam first entering the highpressure cylinder and then to the low-pressure cylinder to exhaust. Thus it will be seen that by my construction I am enabled to increase the size of a two-cylinder compound engine, so that it will have the same power as the ordinary type of simple-acting engine,

and yet when shifted so as to act simple the power will not be increased to such a degree as to make the engine slip, and the power will not be wasted.

I claim as my invention 1, The combination, in a two-cylinder compound engine, of high and low pressure cylinders, steam-passages for said cylinders, a live-steam supply having a throttle-valve for controlling the flow of steam from said supply to the engine, an intercepting-valve and a reducing-valve between the high and low pressure cylinders I having communication with the live-steam supply, and a reducingvalve in the initial steam-passage leading to the high-pressure cylinder and also having communication with the live-steam supply, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a two-cylinder compound engine, of high and low pressure cylinders, steam-passages and valves fol-said cylinders, a live steam supply having a throttlevalve for controlling the flow of steam from said supply to the engine, intercepting and reducing valves between the high and low pressure cylinders, having communication with the live-steam supply, an engincers valve controlling said intercepting and reducing valves, a reducing-valve in the initial steampassage leading to the hi gh-pressu re cylinder and also having communication with the livesteam supply, and an auxiliary valve communicatingwith the engineers valve and controlling the position of said initial pressureredueing valve, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a compound engine, of high and low pressure cylinders, valves therefor, intercepting and reducing valves in the passage between the high and low pressure cylinders, a steam-passage comm unicating with the high-pressu re cylinder and with the low-pressure cylinder through the said reducing-valve, a reducing-valve in the initial steam-p ressu re passage,an auxiliary valve controlling the admission of steam to the space back of said reducing-valve, a port communicating with the chest of said valve and with the passage leading to the high-pressure cylinder, and a port communicating with the said valve-chest and the space back of the reducing-valve, with means for actuating said auxiliary valve so as to allow the space back of the reducing-valve to communicate either with the passage to the high-pressure cylinder or to exhaust, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. PERSINGER, J NO. A. PILCHER. 

